Friday, December 14, 2018

The Song You Sang When You Were Young

This was taken days before his death.
He already knew he was leaving.
This photo haunts me.


You had a song you sang
when you were young;
who you were
you already knew,
long before the laughing buffoons
who tormented you
had a clue.

You were my friend,
always waiting for me
at the corner of Richter and Elliott
in the snow.
We’d crunch across the field
to the lighted school,
where you would play my champion
and I would play the fool.

I lost you for a time;
recall your gaze at me,
so wondering and sad,
as you left my house that day,
my ignorant ex,
beard all a-bristle,
obviously mad,
your eyes speaking
what you were much too kind
to say.

I found you years later,
when I was free,
so glad to finally be
that friend to you
that you’d always been
to me.

But you were tired, by then:
gay-bashed, dismissed
by the system
as a being of little worth,
definitively, by your own hand,
you left this earth.
Your note to me said
you hoped I'd understand.
You were glad I found you,
and your love was true,
but you couldn’t take
how hard life was
just trying to be you.

You had a song you sang
when you were young.
When it stopped, I lost you
for the second time;
the rest of your beautiful song
will forever be unsung.




15 comments:

  1. Oh, this made me emotional. This systematic oppression and persecution can break anyone down.
    It' a beautiful tribute, Sherry!

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  2. It just should not be made so hard for a person to be who he or she is. When will we EVOLVE?

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  3. Your poem made me cry. I cry for your friend, and for you, it is a sad tale indeed! Each should know just how special he is!!!!

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  4. I remember this one from years ago. Heartbreaking.Bullies never evolve, they have to be crushed.

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    Replies
    1. I've written a few poems and a story about Marcel...this is a new one, I just borrowed two lines. Smiles.

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  5. Sorry for your loss, Sherry. This is heartbreaking and beautifully written.

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  6. Yes, your story is heartbreaking, composed eloquently and beautifully.

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  7. ..".just trying to be you" A life that could have continued to offer so much - but it was too hard for him to take. So sad

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  8. So agree with what you said Sherry.. it shouldn't be so hard to just be what you are. So tragic.

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  9. Oh this breaks my heart. Humans are so cruel. We try and put people in boxes we feel comfortable without even considering the agony we cause.

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  10. Oh, Sherry, this is just heartbreaking. Thank you for telling Marcel's story so simply and so lovingly. How can it be that this kind of rejection is foisted upon so many people? For no reason, only from fear and insecurity. I wish your friend had stayed. I am glad you and he had one another. xoxoxox

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  11. Maybe I would like a whole book of songs...maybe a year of songs!!!

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  12. Sherry, you have written about him before. What a sad, sad story. He looks like such a caring person. I am glad for the memories that you have of him and wish he were around still to make new 'songs.'

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  13. I do remember that you written about him before... so sad that he could not bear it any longer. The world is so cruel to everything that's different.

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